Question 1

Some in your department at work are arguing that accounting changes are the same thing as accounting errors. Based on your study of accounting changes, what key points would you address concerning this issue and why?

Question 2

Absorption costing is the required method in use in most modern countries for reporting external inventory costs in the financials. Management often prefers this method to other conventional inventory tracking and measurement systems as it gives them a better feel for the true costs of inventory that is being carried.

Taking into consideration the benefits of absorption costing and management's preferences, why do you feel that absorption costing might be a good choice for internal inventory measurement? Select one example for use in your explanation as to why this method might or might not be the best route to go for inventory.

Question 3

The Internet presents business with the challenge of protecting individual privacy. Provide an example illustrating the need for privacy protection. Within your example, explain how the concepts of responsibility, accountability, and liability apply. Why are these concepts important to business?

Question 4

This week's Online Exploration has you visiting two websites related to ethics and information systems.

Step 1

First, visit the Association of Computing and Machinery (ACM) (http://www.acm.org). Using the websites search function, find the organization's "bylaws". Specifically, read Bylaw 15.

In a brief 1-2 paragraph reflection, explain why a professional organization had a policy such as this. How would you incorporate these into your working life?

Step 2

Next, imagine you work for a small Internet retailer, Web Baskets Inc. They sell original gift baskets online. The company wants to make sure it has policies and procedures in place to protect the privacy of visitors to its Web site. Visit the TRUSTe website (http://www.truste.org). Explore this website. Using its search function, find the "Model Privacy Disclosures". With this document as a guide, develop a privacy policy for Web Baskets Inc. You may find it helpful to read the privacy policies of other online retailers.

Add your policy to the same Word document from Step 1.

Submit your completed assignment by following the directions linked below. Please check the Course Calendar for specific due dates.

Save your assignment as a Microsoft Word document. (Mac users, please remember to append the ".doc" extension to the filename.) The name of the file should be your first initial and last name, followed by an underscore and the name of the assignment, and an underscore and the date. An example is shown below.